Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warned that a bird flu pandemic was coming. He said

Norovirus, commonly called the stomach flu, is a gastrointestinal virus causing vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and a fever.

Norovirus cases have surged over double last year's peak, with a new strain, GII.17[P17], driving outbreaks. The Midwest is hardest hit as experts stress precautions.

Rates of norovirus in that CDC system have reached levels at or above last season's peak in all regions of the country. Norovirus test positivity rates look to be the worst in the Midwest, in a grouping of states spanning Kansas through Michigan.

At least two Michigan health systems have put temporary visitor restrictions in place to reduce spread of illness between guests, patients, and workers. It isn’t a new move for Corewell Health or Detroit Medical Center, both of which have limited visitors during recent flu seasons.

News of a chronic wasting disease case in Mecosta County came just days after Minnesota researchers said CWD could eventually pose a risk to other wildlife, livestock and potentially humans.

At the end of December, trends in respiratory illness reached the highest levels so far this season at both the national level and in Michigan.

As Michigan faces winter weather and snow, with Arctic cold air in the region, there's a risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Here's what to know.

The case was confirmed by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which works in collaboration with the DNR to identify CWD in Michigan's wild deer herd. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, in Ames, Iowa, also confirmed the test result, according to the news release.

His team at HHS has paused critical communications and meetings, right as public health officials are worried about bird flu.

Note: An earlier version of this story did not correctly combine county data, leading to an inflated number associated with an outbreak date. The figures have been corrected. The latest data from the CDC and USDA show the continued devastating effects of bird flu outbreaks across the United States – with Iowa,

COVID-19 tests across the country came back positive, but Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin had an 8.9 percent rate.